Patient Safety in Ambulatory Healthcare

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Hypothetical Problem
Evidence-based Intervention
Performance Improvement Models
Determining Success
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Professionals who work in the ambulatory environment risk making mistakes because of the nature of interactions and the urgency of interventions. Some of the common errors include delayed or missed diagnoses, improper treatment, medication errors, and inefficient communication (Webster et al., 2022). The aforementioned faults may result in adverse outcomes that would negatively impact patient well-being and increase the frequency of litigation against healthcare professionals and institutions. It is essential to implement evidence-based interventions that reduce the incidence of errors.

Hypothetical Problem

A healthcare professional in an ambulatory setting received a patient who had an asthmatic attack while at home. The healthcare provider took the patient’s history and conducted investigations which ascertained that the individual’s attack was triggered by a respiratory infection. Appropriate treatment was administered after confirmatory tests were conducted. The patient’s condition deteriorated immediately after the prescribed antibiotic was administered. The patient’s severe state was the result of the administration of a higher dose than is recommended for the management of the patient’s condition.

Evidence-based Intervention

There are multiple interventions that can be applied in the ambulatory healthcare context to prevent medical errors. The evidence-based intervention that best suits the aforementioned scenario is the inclusion of pharmacists in medical treatment. This intervention has been associated with a 43% reduction in medicine prescription errors and a 27% decline in overall medication errors (Ahsani-Estahbanati et al., 2022). A systematic review conducted by Ahsani-Estahbanati et al. (2022) demonstrated the fact that pharmacist involvement in the treatment process was associated with a significant decline in errors in the healthcare context.

Performance Improvement Models

The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) is a problem-resolution model that can be applied to improve healthcare change initiatives or interventions. In preparing to implement the PDSA model, it is critical to engage organizational leaders, select a framework that will be used to address medical errors, and consider the variety of factors that influence the implementation of proposed changes (Magnan, 2021). The first step is to plan by reviewing data on the frequency of medication errors, design the intervention and determine the parameters that will be used to determine success (Magnan, 2021). The next step involves implementing critical aspects of the plan to involve pharmacists in the treatment process, such as communication and leadership. It is vital to address the factors that contribute to increased medical errors. The third step is to study and evaluate the results of the intervention. The final step is to reflect on the findings and take actions aimed at reducing the frequency of medication errors.

Determining Success

It is vital to evaluate a change initiative for success. The degree of success will be ascertained by evaluating performance metrics such as the morbidity and mortality rate, the number of malpractice claims, and incidences recorded in the institution’s error reporting system. The assessment of electronic medical health records and administrative data reports will be invaluable in the determination of the effectiveness of the evidence-based intervention.

Conclusion

Medical malpractice is a significant issue in ambulatory healthcare contexts. Errors such as delayed or missed diagnoses, improper treatment, medication errors, and inefficient communication result in adverse outcomes. Implementing evidence-based strategies to ensure patient safety is essential. Performance improvement models can be used to ensure that the chosen solutions are implemented effectively. The protection of patient well-being must be prioritized through the application of efficient interventions.

References

Ahsani-Estahbanati, E., Sergeevich Gordeev, V., & Doshmangir, L. (2022). Interventions to reduce the incidence of medical error and its financial burden in health care systems: A systematic review of systematic reviews.Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 1–12.

Magnan, S. (2021). Social determinants of health 201 for health care: Plan, do, study, act. NAM Perspectives, 2021, 1–36.

Webster, J.S., King, H. B., Toomey, L. M., Salisbury, M. L., Powell, S. M., Craft, B., Baker, D. P., Salas, E. (2022). Understanding quality and safety problems in the ambulatory environment: Seeking improvement with promising teamwork tools and strategies. National Library of Medicine.

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